More than 1,000 television stations are finally transitioning their analog broadcast signals to digital signals today, joining about 760 stations that have made the switch, to complete a change first mandated by the government in 1996.

The switch to digital broadcasts, which frees up bandwidth for other communications uses such as public safety first responders, was scheduled to be completed Feb. 17, but was postponed because about 6 million households were still unprepared to continue receiving a signal on their television sets and government funds to subsidize purchases of converter boxes had run out.

The converter boxes are necessary to allow households with televisions receiving analog signals to also receive the new digital signals. New antennas for some televisions also will be necessary to provide the best reception after the switch.

With the extension of the digital television transition deadline, another $650 million was added to the $1.5 billion initially committed to the transition, including the $40 coupon program and other and preparedness programs. Now, the latest industry estimates indicate that the number of unprepared households has been cut nearly in half.

The Nielsen Co. and NAB, the National Association of Broadcasters, put the unprepared households number between 2.8 million and three million, according to recent measures by each entity. That’s about 12 percent of at-risk households that could still lose access to important news and alerts when the switch happens, according to NAB’s latest survey completed by SmithGeiger LLC June 3. However, 3 percent of those households have either applied for or received a converter box coupon from the government, according to the survey.

While commissioners at the Federal Communications Commission are anticipating a smoother transition than they say would have occurred in February, they will spend $40 million to staff call centers across the country.

One last challenge for television viewers after the switch: finding your favorite channels. On June 12, some digital stations already on the air will change channel numbers. To ensure televisions receive all available stations broadcasting in a particular market, viewers may need to force their digital televisions or set-top converter boxes to “auto tune,” or re-scan, for all available channels.